Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

In the early 20th century, an English doctor exposed the desperation of the people of the outports of Newfoundland and Labrador. The doctor's name-Wilfred Grenfell- soon became synonymous with one of the greatest missions to the poverty-stricken in North America. The Grenfell Mission was the early headquarters for the doctor's work with the thousands of fishermen and their families had no access to medical care. A feisty teenager, Katie Andrew, goes with her family each summer to fish the Labrador waters. When her father is lost at sea, Katie's mother stubbornly refuses to leave the outport and waits for him to return even when all hope is lost. Soon Katie's entire family falls ill, and her mother dies. Katie awakens after her illness in the orphanage run by the Grenfell Mission. She is devastated by the disappearance of her youngest sister, who has been adopted by a well-to-do photographer and his family. The loss of her sister marks the beginning of Katie's journey and the trigger for a compelling adventure story. It's a story that takes the girl through a series of events that are as vital to her search for her sister as they are insightful of the history of the Atlantic region at a time when Canada was about to make its early mark on the world. Alice Walsh conveys a gritty sense of life in the outports and in the city of Halifax, where Katie continues her hunt for her sister. There's an authentic feel to the details of life on the Labrador, in the Grenfell orphanage, and in the wealthy and not so wealthy streets of Halifax. Above all, the story of Katie is one that will have enormous appeal for young readers who will empathize with a girl who fights back after losing so much and whoretains a determination to make things right in the face of such overwhelming odds.

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